A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PLT USED A GPS NAV SET TO LAND AT THE WRONG ARPT.

Date: 1993-06 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-landing-without-clearance|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit|other-unspecified

Synopsis

A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PLT USED A GPS NAV SET TO LAND AT THE WRONG ARPT.

Narrative

AFTER A 2 HR VFR FLT FROM ARLINGTON; TN (LHC) TO LOTT INTL; PASCAGOULA; MS (M50) USING GPS AND VOR NAV; I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE MOBILE ATA AND LANDED WITHOUT TWR CLRNC; THINKING I WAS AT LOTT INTL. I MADE 3 CALLS ON LOTT UNICOM FREQ; ENTERED TFC BEHIND AN SMA; AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY RADIO RESPONSE. SINCE BOTH MOBILE REGIONAL AND LOTT INTL WERE NEW TO ME; I WAS UNAWARE OF MY ERROR UNTIL I SAW THE NAME 'MOBILE' ON THE FBO HANGAR. AFTER TALKING TO THE TWR SUPVR; I WAS CLRED TO LOTT INTL AND PROCEEDED VIA RADAR VECTORS. ON THIS GPS RECEIVER; WAYPOINTS ARE SELECTED BY A LARGE KNOB; AND INFO PAGES ARE SELECTED BY A SMALL KNOB CONCENTRIC WITH IT. I BELIEVE THAT WHAT I DID WAS INADVERTENTLY TURN THE LARGE KNOB BACK TO THE PREVIOUS WAYPOINT WHILE SCROLLING THROUGH THE INFO PAGES FOR LOTT INTL; AND FLEW TO SJI INSTEAD. WHEN THE ARPT APPEARED; I ASSUMED IT WAS LOTT INTL; AND PROCEEDED TO LAND. EACH WAYPOINT IN THE NORTH AMERICAN DATABASE CONTAINS SEVERAL PAGES OF INFO. NOT ALL OF THEM GIVE THE IDENTIFIER.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.